Building Regulations
Planning permission vs building regulations, what’s the difference?
It’s easy to get confused between planning permission and building regulations if you’ve never done a house extension, loft/garage conversion or a new build home before.
Planning permission is all about what the building looks like from the outside – its size, position, appearance, and how it fits into the neighbourhood. It’s decided by the local planning authority (like Sheffield City Council) and can sometimes feel quite subjective even though in practice the planners will be striving to comply with set guidelines and legislation.
Building regulations, on the other hand, are the minimum technical standards that every building must meet for safety, energy efficiency, accessibility, and structural integrity. These rules are set nationally by the government and approved by Parliament, so they’re the same right across England. The checks are carried out by the local authority’s Building Control team (or an Approved Inspector) with the intention of ensuring the building’s construction standard meets every required detail.
We always recommend getting your main architectural designs and planning permission sorted first. That way we can make sure the building regulations drawings are completely up-to-date and avoids having to redo anything later.
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What exactly are building regulations?
Building regulations cover pretty much every aspect of how a building is constructed. They’re split into different “Parts” – here are the main ones that usually apply:
Part A – Structure
Part B – Fire Safety
Part C – Site preparation and moisture resistance
Part E – Sound resistance
Part F – Ventilation
Part G – Sanitation, hot water and water efficiency
Part H – Drainage and waste disposal
Part J – Heating appliances
Part K – Protection from falling
Part L – Conservation of fuel and power
Part M – Access and use of buildings (including for disabled people)
Part P – Electrical safety
Part Q – Security
Part R and S – Broadband and electric vehicle charging
As part of our service, we prepare all the detailed technical section drawings and material specifications your builder will need from a building regulations point of view. We also coordinate with your structural engineer for the necessary calculations, which get checked and approved by Building Control before any work starts.
Once building work begins, a Building Control inspector will visit at key stages. When everything’s finished and signed off, you’ll receive a Completion Certificate. This is for your own peace of mind as well as essential for when you eventually come to sell or remortgage.
When do you actually need building regulations?
Every extension, loft conversion, new build, or structural alteration needs building regulations approval and inspections. Even some smaller jobs like garden rooms that might be slept in occasionally come under the rules.
There are a few exceptions – for example, a small detached garage under 15m² might not need it (though the electrics still have to be done properly). Certain straightforward jobs like replacing windows or installing a new boiler can sometimes be certified by a “competent person” registered installer.
In most of the projects we handle, full building regulations approval and staged inspections are required. We’re happy to look at your specific plans and tell you exactly what’s needed.
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How we help with building regulations
We produce clear, fully dimensioned and to-scale project drawings and useful construction details and text showing exactly how everything should be built – from foundation depths and wall insulation to stair handrail heights and downpipe sizes. These get submitted to the local authority’s Building Control department. We usually recommend the council route rather than an independent Approved Inspector because there’s little chance of the local authority’s Building Control department ceasing to trade, which can – and has – happen with private inspectors.
We can advise on the best type of application – Full Plans Approval (the most common and safest route), Building Notice, or Regularisation for retrospective work.
Once work starts, we continue to be available to answer any questions you or your builder might have on site.
The end result? Peace of mind that your project is built properly, safely, and to the required standard – with all the paperwork in place when you need it.
